5557 Background: In locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) weekly cisplatin concurrent with radiation therapy is the standared treatment. However some patients cannot tolerate cisplatin. So we conduct a prospective randomized trial comparing cisplatin versus gemcitabine. Methods: This trial was done in Kasr El-Ainy Center of Clinical Oncology and Radiation therapy (NEMROCK), during the period from March 2010 till June 2011. Sixty patients with locally advanced HNSCC were randomized to receive Cisplatin (30 mg/m2) weekly for 6 consecutive weeks (30 patients) or Gemcitabine (50 mg/m2) weekly for 6 consecutive weeks (30 patients) both concomitant with radiation therapy reaching a dose of 70 Gy over 7 weeks. Primary end points include response rate, progression free survival and toxicity. Toxicities were graded according to NCI-CTCAE v3.0. Results: Thewhole study group included 48 (80%) males and 12 (20%) females. Mean age was 47.9 (± 6.5) years (range 26-61). Both arms were comparable regarding their age, gender, performance status and stage. There were 9 (30%) CR, 7 (23.3%) PR, 2 (6.7%) SD and 12 (40%) PD in cisplatin arm versus 12 (40%) CR, 4 (13.3%) PR, 1 (3.3%) SD and 11 (36.7%) PD in gemcitabine arm. Median progression free survival (PFS) in cisplatin arm was 9 months versus 11months in gemcitabine arm with a hazard ratio of 0.08 (95% CI 0.005 – 1.47). We did not reach median overall survival. Radiotherapy induced skin toxicity (slight or patchy atrophy), nausea, vomiting, mucositis, salivary gland affection and weight loss were equally distributed in both arms. Dysphagia and fatigue were markedly higher in gemcitabine arm. While infection and neutropenia were slightly higher in cisplatin arm. Conclusions: Weekly gemcitabine 50mg/m2 concomitant with radiotherapy was found to be of equal efficacy and toxicity comparable with weekly cisplatin in the treatment of locally advanced HNSCC.
Phase I trial of cetuximab, intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), and ipilimumab in previously untreated, locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (PULA HNSCC)
